Main Help → GENerel Commmands → DropTypes Command

DropTypes Command

GEDitCOM II supports many drag and drop features for GEDCOM records. To configure an editing window to accept dropped records, however, you have to write your templates to recognize them. The DropTypes command tells a window to accept drops of a certain type of record:

DropTypes #1,<#2>, <#2>, ...

where

• #1 (and optionally #2, #3, etc.) are GEDCOM record types that can be dropped on the current data such as INDI, SOUR, NOTE, OBJE, etc..

See GEDitCOM II documentation for what happens when a record is dropped on a window. For some record types it is obvious (e.g., a SOUR is attached as a source citation). For other types the action is ambiguous (e.g., should an INDI or individual dropped on a family record be a husband, wife, or child?). When the drop action is ambiguous, a normal drop will do one option while dropping with the control key down will do another. See GEDitCOM II attaching data help for details.

Notes

1. If a window's template has any CreateLinkButton cells or any OptionalTag commands (for valid link tags), their use implies that window can attach that kind of record. Thus these buttons will automatically register the drop type for the record type associated with the link. You only need DropTypes commands to allow dropping of records not referenced by CreateLinkButton cells or OptionalTag commands.
2. GEDCOM records cannot all accept drops of any type of record. The drops that make sense in the GEDCOM standard for each record type are:
   • INDI - SOUR, NOTE, OBJE, INDI (as associated record), INDICtrl (as alias), FAM (as associated record), _LOG, SUBM
   • FAM - SOUR, NOTE, OBJE, INDI (as child), INDICtrl (as spouse), FAM (as associated record), _LOG, SUBM
   • SOUR - NOTE, OBJE, REPO, INDI (to link from), FAM (to link from)
   • OBJE - SOUR, NOTE, INDI (to link from), FAM (to link from)
   • NOTE - SOUR, INDI (to link from), FAM (to link from)
   • REPO - NOTE
   • SUBM - OBJE
   • SUBN - SUBM
   • HEAD - SUBM, INDI (as home record), FAM (as home record)
   • _LOG - SOUR, NOTE, OBJE, INDI (as researched record), FAM (as researched record)
   Unless otherwise specified in the above list, a drop of a record type means a simple link to that record (e.g., link to a source or multimedia object). The INDICtrl options mean to drag an individual with the control key held down to provide an alternate drop for individuals.
3. Child windows with subordinate data can also accept dropped records when appropriate for that window (such as SOUR, NOTE, and OBJE for a window showing event details).